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IN THE LOOP Send This Review to a Friend
A fast-paced, merciless satire, “In the Loop” is devastating in its depiction of behind the scenes machinations by an assortment of functionaries trying to derail planning by Britain and the United States to launch and collaborate on a Middle East war. The project is unnamed, but you can safely assume the march toward war in Iraq and any future misadventure of that sort are the targets. The atmosphere is shrill and the maneuvers are often hilarious despite the seriousness of what’s at stake.
The setup of “In the Loop” involves Tom Hollander as Simon Foster, a British government minister (Secretary of State for International Development) haplessly signaling on TV that a war may be a possibility. His thoughtless comment sets in motion a series of events, collusion with Washington, assorted ploys and complications too intricate for brief description.
But cynicism abounds in the snappy, profusely profane dialogue no matter which side anyone is on. The rapid-fire dialogue reminds me of the pace in the American chestnut “The Front Page.” American audiences may have to listen extra hard to catch on to some of the accented vernacular. The general thrust is spoofing how Britain got suckered into Washington’s adventure a la Tony Blair, who became known by his detractors as “Bush’s poodle.”
I especially like James Gandolfini as a tough-talking, outspoken U.S. general who knows the human cost of war and doesn’t want to stand for any illusions. Most of those depicted in the government circles are feathering their own nests in various ways. As the maneuvering occurs on both sides of the Atlantic, sex and political intrigue highlight the mix. The script by director Armando Iannucci, Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell and Tony Roche is extremely intricate, but Iannucci’s direction and the film editing makes everything move so swiftly that one reacts to the comedy rather than concentrating on plot. Other key players in the excellent large cast include Chris Addison, Anna Chlumsky, Peter Capaldi, Olivia Poulet, Gina McKee and Steve Coogan. An IFC Films release.
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